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2 Kings 13:14-21
New English Translation

Elisha Makes One Final Prophecy

14 Now Elisha had a terminal illness.[a] King Jehoash of Israel went down to visit him.[b] He wept before him and said, “My father, my father! The chariot[c] and horsemen of Israel!”[d] 15 Elisha told him, “Take a bow and some arrows,” and he did so.[e] 16 Then Elisha[f] told the king of Israel, “Aim the bow.”[g] He did so,[h] and Elisha placed his hands on the king’s hands. 17 Elisha[i] said, “Open the east window,” and he did so.[j] Elisha said, “Shoot!” and he did so.[k] Elisha[l] said, “This arrow symbolizes the victory the Lord will give you over Syria.[m] You will annihilate Syria in Aphek!”[n] 18 Then Elisha[o] said, “Take the arrows,” and he did so.[p] He told the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” He struck the ground three times and stopped. 19 The prophet[q] got angry at him and said, “If you had struck the ground five or six times, you would have annihilated Syria![r] But now, you will defeat Syria only three times.”

20 Elisha died and was buried.[s] Moabite raiding parties invaded[t] the land at the beginning of the year.[u] 21 One day some men[v] were burying a man when they spotted[w] a raiding party. So they threw the dead man[x] into Elisha’s tomb. When the body[y] touched Elisha’s bones, the dead man[z] came to life and stood on his feet.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 13:14 tn Heb “Now Elisha was ill with the illness by which he would die.”
  2. 2 Kings 13:14 tn Heb “went down to him.”
  3. 2 Kings 13:14 tn Though the noun is singular here, it may be collective, in which case it could be translated “chariots.”
  4. 2 Kings 13:14 sn By comparing Elisha to a one-man army, the king emphasizes the power of the prophetic word. See the note at 2:12.
  5. 2 Kings 13:15 tn Heb “and he took a bow and some arrows.”
  6. 2 Kings 13:16 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  7. 2 Kings 13:16 tn Heb “Cause your hand to ride on the bow.”
  8. 2 Kings 13:16 tn Heb “and he caused his hand to ride.”
  9. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  10. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “He opened [it].”
  11. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “and he shot.”
  12. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  13. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “The arrow of victory of the Lord and the arrow of victory over Syria.”
  14. 2 Kings 13:17 tn Heb “you will strike down Syria in Aphek until destruction.”
  15. 2 Kings 13:18 tn Heb “he”; the referent (Elisha) has been specified in the translation for clarity.
  16. 2 Kings 13:18 tn Heb “and he took [them].”
  17. 2 Kings 13:19 tn Heb “man of God.”
  18. 2 Kings 13:19 tn Heb “[It was necessary] to strike five or six times, then you would strike down Syria until destruction.” On the syntax of the infinitive construct, see GKC 349 §114.k.
  19. 2 Kings 13:20 tn Heb “and they buried him.”
  20. 2 Kings 13:20 tn Heb “entered.”
  21. 2 Kings 13:20 tc The MT reading בָּא שָׁנָה (baʾ shanah), “it came, year,” should probably be emended to בְּבָא הַשָּׁנָה (bevaʾ hashanah), “at the coming [i.e., ‘beginning’] of the year.” See M. Cogan and H. Tadmor, II Kings (AB), 148.
  22. 2 Kings 13:21 tn Heb “and it so happened [that] they.”
  23. 2 Kings 13:21 tn Heb “and look, they saw.”
  24. 2 Kings 13:21 tn Heb “the man”; the adjective “dead” has been supplied in the translation for clarity.
  25. 2 Kings 13:21 tn Heb “the man.”
  26. 2 Kings 13:21 tn Heb “he”; the referent (the dead man) has been specified in the translation for clarity. Otherwise the reader might think it was Elisha rather than the unnamed dead man who came back to life.
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2 Kings 13:14-21
International Standard Version

Elisha Predicts Partial Victory for Joash

14 When Elisha fell ill with the sickness from which he was about to die, King Joash of Israel came down to see[a] him, wept in his presence, and told him, “My father, Israel’s chariots and cavalry!”

15 Elisha told him, “Pick up a bow and some arrows.” So he picked up a bow and some arrows.

16 Then Elisha told Israel’s king, “Draw the bow!” As he did so, Elisha laid his hands on top of the king’s hands 17 and ordered him, “Open a window that faces east.” So he did so.

Elisha ordered him, “Shoot!” So he shot.

Then Elisha said, “This is the Lord’s arrow of victory—the victory arrow against Aram, because you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you will have utterly finished them off.”

18 After this Elisha said, “Pick up the arrows.” So the king picked them up.

Then Elisha told the king of Israel, “Strike the ground!” So he struck it three times and then stood still.

19 At this, the man of God became angry at him and told him, “You should have struck five or six times! Then you would have attacked Aram until you would have destroyed it! But as it is now, you’ll defeat Aram only three times!”

The Death of Elisha

20 Later, Elisha died and was buried. Now at that time, various Moabite marauders had been invading the land each spring. 21 One day while some Israelis[b] were burying a man, they saw some marauders, so they threw the man into Elisha’s grave. But when the man fell against Elisha’s remains,[c] he revived and rose to his feet.

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Footnotes

  1. 2 Kings 13:14 The Heb. lacks see
  2. 2 Kings 13:21 Lit. As they
  3. 2 Kings 13:21 Lit. bones
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